Manufacture of gelatine



Patented Dec. 27, 1932 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD ATHERTON, F WARWICK, ENGLANDMANUFACTURE OF GELATINE No Drawing. Application filed August 16, 1930,Serial No. 475,843, and in Great Britain May 26, 1930;

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of gelatineand has for its object to effect a sterilization of the gelatine. Afurther object is to increase the solubility and also the jelly strengthand to produce a puffed gelatine in sheet, flake or other form.

According to this invention there is provided a process of treatinggelatine which con sists in subjecting gelatine suddenly to a high 1temperature, preferably about 900 degrees F.,

for a period of approximately three and onehalf seconds whereby moisturecontained in the gelatine is suddenly vaporized so as to puff thegelatine. The heating of the gelatine may be eifected by passing itthrough a muflfle furnace or other suitably heated chamber whereby thewhole of the surface of the gelatine is exposed tothe same temperature.

The period during which the gelatine is heated and the temperature towhich it is subjected are such as to avoid charring or carbonizing thegelatine or merely drying the gelatine without pufling it.

Any grade of gelatine from the best quality down to common gluemay besubjected to the present treatment.

The gelatine for treatment according to the present invention mustcontain sufficient moisture to efiect the pulling of the gelatine whensuch moisture is vaporized. Gelatine which has been completely dried,that is, gelatine from which all the nmisture has been removed, must beallowed to re-absorb moisture, which it will do if allowed to stand in ahumid atmosphere, before being suitable for the present treatment.

After the heat treatment, the gelatine may, if desired, be passedthrough a refrigerating i or cooling chamber, but this is not essential.

The treated gelatine may be packed in crisp, dry form into hermeticallysealed containers, or the treated gelatine may be allowed to absorbmoisture from a sterilized atmosphere, such as an atmosphere containingsulphur dioxide. However, gelatine which has absorbed moisture from asterilized atmosphere will havea jelly strength less than that of thecrisp, dry form of gelatine.

A convenient method of heating the gelatine in sheet, flake, tablet orother form consists in passing it in shallow trays through a mufliefurnace in which the hot gases are upwardly and downwardly directed, orother suitably heated chamber which is adapted to subject the wholesurface of the gelatine to However, as the temperature increases, the

speed of the conveyor must be increased or charring and carbonizing willresult.

Generally the best working conditions are obtained with a temperature of900 degrees F., and a speed of feed of 20 feet per minute(approximately) with a gelatine of from 3/1000th inch to 6/1000th inchin thickness. The thinner the gelatine the better the results and thewhiter the product. The length of the furnace for this temperature andspeed would be approximately 14 inches.

The wire trays are preferably pivotally attached at one end to theconveyor so that 30 after passing through the heating chamber or muflle,the trays move about their pivots to deposit the treated gelatine into asuitable receptacle or on to crushing or flaking rollsor grinding mill.Gelatine in powder or granular form may be conveniently subjected toheat by passing it in suspension through a heated chamber, or gelatinein such form may be heated by passing it through a heated chamber ormuflle furnace in shallow trays attached to a conveyor as describedabove. i

The heating of the gelatine not only sterilizes it, but the atmosphericor other moisture contained in the sheet, flake or other form ofgelatine is vaporized and imparts a pufl'ed 9 appearance to thegelatine.

Gelatine prepared according to this invention ma be advantageouslyemployed for edible, p otographic and industrial purposes,

and essences, extracts, flavours or other in gredients may be added tothe gelatine either fore or after the heat treatment according towhether the ingredient will stand the temperature. 5 I claim 1. Aprocess of sterilizing and uifing gelatine containing normal atmosp ericmoisture which conslsts in subjecting said gelatine to a temperature ofapproximately 900 F.

10 for an approximate period of three and onehalf seconds.

2. A process of sterilizing and pufling gelatine containing normalatmospheric moisture which consists in subjecting said 15 gelatine to atemperature of approximately 900 F. for an approximate erlod of threeand one-half seconds, and subsequently grinding the puffed gelatine intoflakes or powder.

20 3. A process of sterilizing and ufling gelatine containing naturalatmospheric moisture which consists in suddenly subjecting the gelatineto a temperature of between 350 F. and 1000 F.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature hereto this 7th day ofAugust 1930.

EDWARD ATHERTON.

